The​Best of the Best

Kellie SmithThe Best of the Best Juried Art Exhibition, 2017

Kellie Smith

Kellie Smith (b. 1991) is a Colorado native, and an outdoors enthusiast. She currently lives in Bailey, CO with her husband and two kids.Smith is best known for her traditional photographic processes, and alternative printing techniques in the darkroom. Most of her Fine Art has been conceptually based upon her family, specifically her children and motherhood. She also occasionally makes archival digital prints, and has been featured in the 2016 16x16x16 Traveling Exhibition at University of Colorado Denver, the 2017 Senior Thesis Exhibition at UCD and the 2000 Cheesman East Exhibition in Denver.

Artist Statement

"I rarely remember my dreams, however many of the dreams I retain leave me with a feeling of anxiety and tension. Phantasmagoria is a series of photographs that represent the emotions and fleeting images that I experience at night. I shoot each frame with spontaneity, but also caution in order to create double-exposed negatives that are not too dense, have simple compositions, and will be easier to print. My children are often a subject because they are the most treasured assets in my life, and many of my anxieties revolve around them and their well-being. Using film and analog processes for this work is important because of the aesthetic and the mystery of the double exposure in the camera. I use a brush to apply the developer to the photographs in order to enhance the surreal properties, and allow the image to flow off the paper like a dream."